Ersel Schuster
The following letter was sent to each incoming McHenry County Board member by former member Ersel Schuster:
Overriding the historic 2016 election process is the message that people in America distrust elected officials.
They want accountability via enforcement of the “rule of law;” and, that the slightest hint of corruption is not acceptable.
On December 5, 2016, as you begin your term of office, you will come face to face with a new beginning.
A new beginning that will have dramatic, unintended consequences to the public you represent should you misjudge your role and responsibilities.
Having said that, I call to your attention the following component of your County Board Rules.
This section was designed to assure transparency and trustworthiness for our McHenry County Board.
1) Article II, Section 1.2 (page 10):
“Committee on Committees:
“At the Organizational Meeting, each County Board District shall, in open session and in sequential order by district, select one member to represent their district on the Committee on Committees.
“In the event of a tie, the most senior member shall prevail.
“In the event the seniority is equal (as determined by total number of years of service) a coin toss shall break the tie.
“The Committee shall be comprised of one (1) member from each County Board District and chaired by the County Board Chairman (who shall be a voting member.)”
This rule is critical as the procedures to be undertaken in your first action will dictate your commitment to an orderly process by which you will begin your official duties as elected officials and signal the public of your intent to serve them in a fair and open manner.
2) You will fill out a “Statement of Economic Interest.” Together with that document you will be asked to sign a “Disclosure” document identifying personal property holdings (other than personal residence) and to identify debt and/or connections to doing business with McHenry County.
This document identifies, for public scrutiny, any potential personal conflicts of interest between you and actions you will take as a member of the McHenry County Board.
Prior and returning boards members struggled with issues of transparency and accountability for decades.
The resulting procedures, enumerated above, have been designed to prevent the accumulation of power among County Board Members.
It lays open, for all to see, those areas where any member could use his/her position for personal gain.
As clearly as possible, I emphasis the importance of the request that you uphold and sustain the County Board Rules as they relate to transparency and accountability.
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Although new County Board Rules do not allow the incoming County Board Chairman (Jack Franks) to appoint County Board members to committees, in his member comments at the November 15th meeting of the Board, outgoing Chairman Joe Gottemoller suggested the members “let the new Chairman know” what committees on which they want to serve.
He also suggested members let the members of the Committee on Committees know their choices.
Under the old rules, the County Board Chairman appointed members of the Committee on Committees and determined who would serve on what committees.
Another Cy Young type pitch from our
Gal.
Gotta love Ms. Ersel !
Wish you would have been elected this time Ersel.
Your guidance is invaluable.
Dist 6 lost out when Schuster & Liebmann lost the County Board Primary.
Wish Ersel lived in Woodstock proper and would run for Mayor!
McHenry County Board Rules
May 1, 2015 (Revised July 7, 2015)
Section 1 – County Board Transition
1.1 Organizational Meeting:
The Organizational Meeting of the County Board shall be held on the first Monday of December of each even numbered year.
The Chief Circuit Judge of the Twenty Second Circuit Court or a judicial designee shall administer the oath of office to newly elected Board Members.
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1.2 Committee on Committees:
At the Organizational Meeting, each County Board District shall, in open session and in sequential order by district, select one member to represent their district on the Committee of Committees.
In the event of a tie, the most senior member shall prevail.
In the event the seniority is equal (as determined by total years of service), a coin toss shall break the tie.
The Committee shall be compromised of one (1) member from each County Board District and chaired by the County Board Chairman (who shall be a voting member).
Following the Organizational Meeting, the Committee on Committees shall meet to make recommendations to the County Board on committee membership, chair, and vice chairman assignments.
To the extent practical, the Chairman of a standing committee shall have served as a member of that standing committee in the prior year.
The Committee on Committees shall cease to exist following the approval of the standing committee assignments by the full County Board.
http://www.co.mchenry.il.us/home/showdocument?id=14296
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In a December 5, 2016 post titled, “Committee on Committees Members Announced” the blog reported the following members will be on the Committee of Committees as a result of the December 5, 2016 County Board Regular Meeting:
District 1 – Yvonne Barnes
District 2 – John Heisler
District 3 – Joe Gottemoller
District 4 – Chuck Wheeler
District 5 – John Jung
District 6 – Mary McCann
County Board Chair Jack Franks will be the Chair of the Committee and be a voting member.
On of November 28, 2016, Ersel Schuster probably didn’t anticipate that in his first hour of being in office on December 5, 2016, Jack Franks would form a Temporary Rules Committee and name its members.
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McHenry County Board Regular Meeting
December 5, 2016, 9AM start time
01. Call to Order by the Chairman – 0:00
02. Pledge of Allegiance – 0:10
03. Invocation – 0:30
04. Administration of the Oath of Office – Judge Sullivan – 01:50
05. Introductory Roll Call – 04:45
06. Nomination & Election of the Vice-Chairman of the Board – start 05:40
07. Administration of the Oath of Office for the Vice Chairman – start 08:20
08. Public Comments – start 09:00
09. Chairman’s Remarks – start 26:44
10. Board Member’s Comments – start 39:00
11. Appointment of the County Board Committee on Committees – 53:00
– Each of the six County Board Districts nominated one of their 4 members, to be a member of the County Board Committee on Committees.
Those nominations were accepted.
County Board Chair Jack Franks is the 7th member of the Committee on Committees (that was not mentioned in the meeting).
12. Creation of the Temporary Rules Committee ad hoc committee – 57:10
– Jack Franks created the committee and named its members: himself (he resides in District 6), Bob Nowak (District 1), Jim Heisler (District 2), Joe Gottemoller (District 3), Chuck Wheeler (District 4), Paula Yensen (District 5), Mike Skala (District 5), Michele Aavang (District 6), Larry Smith (District 6), & Jim Kearns (District 6).
– Jack Franks said the first meeting would be in 48 hours.
– There was no discussion much less vote prior to that announcement on whether or not to form such a committee, whom would be on the committee, or when it would meet. There was a bit of subsequent statements by board members.
– Mike Walkup said:
– In the past committees would continue meeting in December after the new board members took the oath of office. (Franks cancelled them).
– In the past the Management Services committee had been in charge of rules.
– The Committee of Committees could also be used in lieu of this Temporary Rules Committee.
– Donna Kurtz said she agreed with Mr. Walkup but would agree with Mr. Franks as the new county board chair on the forming of this new ad hoc Temporary Rules Committee.
– Jeff Thorsen said consolidating from 12 to 7 committees should be discussed in front of the public as an option not a foregone conclusion.
– Jack Franks interrupted Jeff Thorsen and said Jeff could call him any time, and Jeff Thorsen responded it should be done in front of the public.
– Jeff went on and Jack Franks interrupted him again when Jeff said there is a set of rules the board has to progress when transition from one board to another.
– Jeff said an ad hoc committee should be for special projects. Not moving from 12 to 7 committees.
[The real reason Jack Franks established an ad hoc Temporary Rules Committee is so he could be in charge of the committee and name its members.
13. Reseating of the Board Members – 1:08:50.
14. Other Business – 1:09:30
15. Administrator’s Report – 1:09:40
– A meeting was held last week with the Ethics commission with Scott Hartmann.
– He appreciates the role of the State’s Attorney in that process.
16. Executive Session – 1:12:55 (no executive session)
17. Adjourn.